Charybdis
by innocentlybeautiful
Summary: "Hi, my name is Charybdis Scott. Pronounced Ka-rib-dis. Yeah. I was named after a Greek monster, go figure. But people call me Cari." Charybdis Scott was adopted when she was younger. Being the unknown only daughter of Poseidon, she needs to be protected. Why? She's the reincarnation of a sea monster bearing her name. And she's also the only one who can control something bigger...
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: First of all, I don't know how often this will be updated. Second of all, Percy is 18 and Annabeth is 17. It's kind of like an AU (Alternate Universe) so the books are more like a baseline. 'Kay. That's it._**

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CHAPTER 1

I hiked further up the mountain, my backpack weighing me down. Whatever was chasing me was fast, and I didn't like it. My breathing grew ragged as I ducked behind a large boulder. I brought my legs closer into my chest and rested my chin in the middle of my knees. Trying to stay as still as possible, like a deer being hunted, I tried to control my breathing as I strained to hear past the pounding of my heart. You're probably wondering how I got into this mess…

Hi, my name is Charybdis Scott. Pronounced Ka-rib-dis. Yeah. I was named after a Greek monster, go figure. But people call me Cari. That day started out normal, or, at least I thought it was pretty normal. But first, let's back track, all the way to my fifteenth birthday, which was just a few days earlier…

"Make a wish!" my mother cried as my father snapped a picture. I blew out the fire topped wax candles as I blinked the spots out of my eyes. I tried to smile, but I could barely look them in the eyes. There was something off about them. They told me they had to tell me something extremely important, but what, I had no idea. All I knew was that the awkward was tangible in the air. My parents looked at each other, as the smiles were wiped off their faces.

"It's time you knew, Cari," said my mom as she pulled a chair from the table, taking a seat. My father did the same.

"Knew what?" I asked, naively confused. My parents exchanged looks again, and then after my mother gave my dad a really long hard stare, he finally brought out some paperwork.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Cari," my father looked at my mother, and it was almost as if she egged him on with her eyes. He returned my worried gaze with a sad and regretful one, "You're adopted."

And just like that, everything I knew kind of drifted away from me. Sure, you watch television shows or read books where the protagonist gets told that he or she was adopted, and you kind of think how they're sort of being dramatic as they flip out. You're just adopted. Get over it. Obviously your real parents didn't want you, why take it out on the perfectly good pair you have now? But really experiencing it, realizing that you really have no idea who you are, is terrifying. It's like the person I knew, wasn't me at all. It was like looking back through someone else's memories, because that person couldn't possibly be me. No, they couldn't, because I didn't know who I was. Suddenly, it was as if a big gaping hole, that I never knew I had, opened up. A big gaping hole that screamed, "You've always been unwanted." And it didn't go away, after it was opened.

It wasn't as if I didn't suspect something. I had wavy hair as dark as night and big bright blue eyes as deep as the ocean. My father had wispy light blonde hair and narrow brown eyes, covered by a set of wire-rimmed glasses that slipped down his nose every once in a while. My mother had caramel colored brownish hair that reached her shoulders, straight as a rod, and bright green eyes. I looked nothing like them. They always told me that it was my grandparents; I looked a little like them. I had never met them, of course, neither set. They were conveniently "dead". But now, I didn't even know if they were decaying corpses anymore.

I sat completely still, staring at the both of them. My blue eyes darting back and forth between my two parents. Between these two…strangers. But, I didn't flip a table. I didn't start screaming. I just sat there.

"What?" I asked, very softly, restraining a feeling to burst out and cry.

"I know it might come as a shock to you…"

"A shock?" I asked, looking up at them. A shock. It wasn't just a shock. My world had just imploded. Why? And why now? My mother exchanged a look with my father as she tried to explain.

"We didn't name you, Cari. We didn't conceive you. We didn't give birth to you. We didn't even properly adopt you… We were here to protect you. To hide you."

"Hide me?"

"They will find you, soon, Cari. They already know you exist," explained my father. I stared at him incredulously.

"Thanks for clearing that up, Dad," I spat sarcastically. He looked visibly hurt as I put sarcastic emphasis on the word 'dad'. I looked away, quickly, regretting how I said that.

"But we can't hide you anymore. You need to leave. Or you'll put us all in danger."

"What the hell are you guys even saying? Do you hear yourselves?" I asked them, standing up. My mother calmly stood up with me.

"It's my BIRTHDAY. Doesn't that mean anything to you? I'm fifteen now. Did you plan to absolutely destroy the one day meant for me? Because, if you did, you're doing a pretty damn good job at it."

"Cari, we do not use that language in this household," my father scolded. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, ebbing my anger.

"We're sending you on a camping trip for a few days. By yourself, of course," my mother said after seeing that I had calmed down. I didn't speak to her. I didn't speak to either of them as I was driven to the campsite. My father helped put up my tent and showed me how to make a campfire. He said it was only for a couple of days. I wouldn't stay here long. I still refused to speak to him. I thought my parents were going insane. They WERE insane. He told me that he loved me as he pulled me close into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and told me things were going to be okay. I still didn't say anything to him, and I definitely didn't hug him back. Then they left. It had been a couple of days, and I was tired of feeling scared about the outside. I just wanted to go home, not get swallowed by a bear. By that point, I didn't even care that I was adopted and that my parents made me camp outside for three days. That's when I heard someone else in the deserted woods.

"Hello?" I called out as I heard a twig snap. My voice carried and then everything went silent. I stood up.

"Dad?" I asked, craning my head to see further into the woods. It was silent for a few seconds more until I felt something rushing towards me. I felt my eyes widen. Someone was really after me.

There was only one thought in my mind: _Run._

And that's what I did. Which led me to this mountainside behind this boulder, wishing I could blend into my surroundings like a chameleon.

I strained my hearing and heard almost silent footsteps coming towards me. Saying a silent prayer, I whipped out my pocket knife and jumped up. It was a girl. She looked to be about the same age as me, maybe a little older. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her face scowled at me. Her gray eyes glanced at the knife I was gripping tightly and then back up at me.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice shaking, my hand still gripping the knife. She sort of smirked.

"Are you here to kill me?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes at me and then started to laugh. I realized how ridiculous I must've looked. Dirty, hadn't showered in three days, with a knife in my hand. I didn't even know how to use it. I doubted it was even sharp. I felt my cheeks blush.

"You're Charybdis Scott, right?" she asked, returning to a scowl. I nodded my head slowly, feeling my eyes narrow.

"Yeah… Who wants to know?" I hissed.

"I've been looking for you. The name's Annabeth. Annabeth Chase."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Annabeth Chase?" I asked. The name didn't ring any bells. _How did she know mine?_ "You were looking for me?" She nodded her head a bit tersely, but her gray eyes showed fondness.

"You're pretty special, Charybdis. You're just lucky I found you first," she said, pivoting on her foot and walking down the way that she had come. She wore hiking boots and a light sweater zipped up towards her neck. An orange shirt peeked out from under it.

"How am I special?" I asked, catching up to her, almost tripping over a few loose rocks. She stared at my clumsiness, amused.

"Do you realize what your name means?" she asked, after a few seconds of silence. I pursed my lips, wondering why she was asking me this.

"In Greek mythology, she was a whirlpool, a sea monster," I answered. She nodded with my answer, and continued to walk quickly. I had to half run to catch up to her.

"She was also the Daughter of Poseidon," said Annabeth, her eyes meeting mine for a brief second. Her words had some weight to it, causing me to stop briefly, trying to figure out what she meant, before catching up to her.

Annabeth continued.

"Poseidon and Zeus were in a sort of feud with one another. Charybdis, the sea monster that you think she is, wanted to help her father, be in good graces with him and all that. She started to claim land for the sea, letting water engulf the lands that she claimed. Zeus became outraged and turned her into a sea monster."

"Did her father not care?"

"Gods don't usually care all that much," muttered Annabeth, speeding up her walk. Her eyes scanned the forest in front of us. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion and a little bit of irritation.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked her, biting. She sighed and then faced me.

"When Charybdis was turned into a monster, she was facing another one. Her name was Scylla. I'm telling you this because Charybdis died about a hundred years ago." I stared at her incredulously for a few minutes, and then I burst out laughing. She looked offended as I doubled over with laughter.

"Do you really believe that? It's called 'Mythology' for a reason," I said, after controlling my laughter.

"Do you really not believe in this? I guess it's a lot to take in."

"What's a lot to take in? The fact that you're telling me I'm named after a real sea monster that was alive a hundred years back? Or the fact that you actually think I was named after a sea monster from mythology and that it was real?" I asked, taking a step back from the crazy girl. No wonder why she was wandering around in the forest. Only crazy people did that. Still didn't explain how she knew my name though…

"Do you like to swim, Charybdis?" Annabeth inquired.

"It's Cari. No one calls me that," I snapped. I took a deep breath and then, "Yeah. I love to swim. I used to be part of the swim team but—"

"You were unnaturally good?" Annabeth finished, her eyes staring at me as if telling me, _I told you so_. I was at a loss for words. As I sputtered like a broken engine, Annabeth smiled and then continued on her path. I caught up to her.

"Are you telling me that I'm the Daughter of Poseidon?" I asked, saying the words as if I didn't believe it, but the words were starting to sink deep into my head.

"Am I?" she asked, kind of absentmindedly as she led me to a truck. She warily looked around and then walked me to the passenger side of the truck. I climbed in, mulling over on my thoughts as she climbed into the driver's seat. Putting the key into the ignition and putting the car into reverse, she stepped on the gas and suddenly we were off.

"If all of this is true…"

"It is."

"And I'm the Daughter of Poseidon… And some kind of sea monster… Who…died… Who are you? And why am I lucky it was you that found me and not someone else?" I asked. Annabeth glanced over at me as she sped down the highway.

"I'm the Daughter of Athena. You know, the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy. You're not a sea monster anymore, you just were before. Poseidon hasn't had a daughter since he had Charybdis. You're the first one. He never found anyone that he loved as much as he loved your mother. Still does, actually. That's why—Well, you'll find out soon enough."

"And the whole I'm lucky you found me thing?" Annabeth smiled a little.

"You'll find out soon enough." I groaned slightly.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Camp Half-Blood."

"Half-Blood?" It sounded like a camp for mudbloods from a Harry Potter book.

"We're demigods, Cari. Half mortal half god." Annabeth was starting to sound a little strained, as if she had better things to do. She stayed quiet, but not a mindless quiet, like how most teenagers were. Whenever she was quiet, she was thinking a million things at once, putting pieces together, and I could practically see the thoughts surging through her head.

"How old are you?" she asked, a seemingly casual conversation starter, but I had a feeling it led to something bigger.

"I just turned fifteen."

"Fifteen. Daughter of Poseidon. And you haven't been attacked by a single monster," she stated this, she didn't ask. Yet I felt the need to answer.

"No, I haven't." Her eyes narrowed, but she kept them on the road. More wheels started turning in that head of hers. I waited for her to voice her thoughts, but they never came. She stayed silent as we passed many signs. I finally figured out that we were heading towards Long Island, after passing a sign. Nodding to sleep, the car stopped. Annabeth shook me awake and then got out of the car.

"Follow me," she said. She hurried and disappeared into the forestry. I sighed and the quickly followed after her. Then, as we got closer, I saw an overhead sign. It was in Greek, for that I was sure. But then the letters switched themselves around, reading: Camp Half-Blood. I felt my eyes widen.

"C'mon," said Annabeth, though she smiled a bit as she grabbed my arm and pulled me through. I saw her visibly relax as we passed through. Her shoulders slouched more, and her eyes stopped scanning the area.

"We're safe now."

"Wait, so everything you were telling me was—"

"True, yeah."

"That means that I am a—"

"Demigod, yeah."

"And I'm a—"

"You're not a sea monster, Charybdis." I felt myself freaking out as she told me to follow her again as we went further into the camp. There were kids milling around. People were sword fighting, with actual swords. There were girls that looked like models that hung around each other. And there was a boy with…goat legs?

"Oh hey Grover," greeted Annabeth with likeable familiarity. I couldn't help but stare at his legs, feeling my mouth hanging open. I could sense how uncomfortable he was as he started shifting his weight.

"So, she's Charybdis?" he asked. My head snapped up, a bit annoyed.

"Does everyone know my name?" I asked, turning to look at Annabeth. Her gray eyes met mine.

"Yes. We just discovered your existence a few weeks back. You were very well hidden, as you should be."

"As I should be?" I asked.

"Cari, listen. The parents you knew weren't your parents. You're not really Charybdis Scott. You're Charybdis Jackson. Poseidon, your father, being part of the 'Big Three' wasn't supposed to have sexual relations with a mortal, for fear of having a child because the children of the Big Three are really quite powerful. That doesn't make you special, and neither does this next bit. But—"

"You have an older brother named Percy. Unlike the others around here, he's not your half brother. He's your full-fledged brother. You and him have the same mother, which is extremely rare. But Poseidon loved your mother very much," finished Grover. Annabeth scowled.

"I was getting to that."

"You were taking too long." Annabeth rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I have a brother?" I asked.

"His name is Percy. He's our friend," said Annabeth. Grover elbowed her in the rips.

"He's my friend. He's a little more of a friend to Annabeth here." Annabeth elbowed Grover in the stomach and he doubled over in pain.

"C'mon. I'll show you to your cabin." I followed Annabeth to a cabin facing the sea. She walked up the steps and through the doorway as if she owned the place as I hesitantly followed after. I realized that I still hadn't showered for almost four days, and started to feel self-conscious. I was meeting my brother for the gods' sake. For the first time, I should add.

"Percy? I found her," Annabeth's voice called. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and then crossed over the threshold. At the sound of my footsteps, the boy turned around. He had black hair that fell slightly into his sea green eyes. His skin was lightly tanned and he was very tall. He wore an orange shirt that read Camp Half-Blood across it. He was a few years older than I. But we looked very similar. Except for the fact that my eyes were the color of a deep blue, the blue you would find in the inky depths of the ocean. His lips spread into a smile as he took in my ragged appearance.

"Hey lil sis! I'm your brother, Percy Jackson."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hey guys! I really liked reading the two reviews that I got. They were very nice and pleasant. :) Thanks to those who are following this story, it really makes my day! :) By the way, I imagine Leo looking a bit like Ben Barnes. Oh, I guess I gave that away. Well, you're gonna meet Leo in this chapter. :)**_

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CHAPTER 3

"I-I'm Cari," I stammered. He smiled warmly, as I stood uncomfortably in the entrance of what seemed to be his room. There were two beds placed in different areas of the cabin.

"I know," said Percy. He laughed slightly at my awkwardness and motioned for me to come in.

"Is that bed mine?" I asked him warily pointing at the neatly made bed.

"Yeah, Tyson sort of moved out," said Percy, sitting down in his bed, across from my own. Annabeth stood where she was.

"Tyson? Who's Tyson?" I asked. Percy smirked a little.

"He's our half-brother. You'll see him soon enough. When we found out about you, he decided that you could have his bed while he's gone. Annabeth was ordered to find you immediately, which she did, 'cause she's amazing," said Percy smiling up at the blonde. She rolled her eyes and reached down to push him playfully as she sat down next to him.

"Shut up, seaweed brain," she muttered, her cheeks turning slightly pink. I felt my lips tighten as I played with my hands. I felt like the awkward third wheel between the two of them. I had a feeling they were a couple.

"If you're my brother, how did you not know about me?" I blurted out. I felt my cheeks redden as he gazed a bit sadly at me, but his eyes also looked like a storm raging as he looked above me.

"They kept you hidden, Cari, protected. For good reason. A reason that you'll understand and find out later on. You're three years younger than me. I was old enough by that time to understand that I was having a younger sibling. If you were to be hidden well enough, you needed to be forgotten, especially by the three year old who would ask where the baby went. So they took my memory of my mother's pregnancy. Little bits and pieces of it have been coming back to me, which is pretty much how we found out about you. You were so well hidden, that even our father, Poseidon, had no idea you were even _alive_!"

"Great. My own father didn't even know I existed," I heard myself mumble. Percy looked at me with some sadness.

"Who named me then?" I asked.

"Our mother. Her name is Sally. You'll love her," said Percy, a glint of fondness in his eyes.

"Why did she give me such a weird name? A name of a sea monster no less?" I inquired. Percy started to look slightly uncomfortable.

"It came to her. Like the name Perseus for me," explained Percy.

"You're the reincarnation of Charybdis. Who didn't start off as a sea monster," added Annabeth.

"What does that even _mean_? My adopted parents told me that they're looking for me. _Who's _looking for me?" I asked, starting to get frantic. Especially since the two of them seemed to know what was happening to me as they exchanged knowing looks. Percy stood up and outstretched a hand towards me. I looked at it warily, and then took it, as he helped me up off of my bed. He laughed slightly.

"I don't want to sound all mysterious and like Rachel, but trust me when I tell you, you'll know soon enough," he said. As I stared into those open sea green eyes, the exact shape as mine, I realized that I trusted him. Probably with my own life, even though I had just met him. I sighed a little and then nodded my head. His lips spread into a huge smile again.

"Great. Now, let me show you around camp!" he exclaimed. As I followed him out with Annabeth at our heels, I turned to him, confusion dawning on my face as I remembered what he said earlier.

"Who's Rachel?"

* * *

After I had been shown around at the camp, Percy had some things to do, so I just wandered over to the beach. Stretching out on the hot sand, I stared at the sparkling water in front of me as I thought.

Me? Cari? The Daughter of a god? Poseidon, no less?

It seemed impossible. I was always one of those awkward kids. I wasn't tough and confident like Annabeth seemingly was. I was a bag of bones, weak, pathetic, and could barely do anything. The only thing I was good at was horseback riding and swimming. Besides that, I wasn't good for anything. I did terribly at school, always have always will. I never had any friends. I was a loner, my mother—Er, Mrs. Scott—always told me. Nothing to be ashamed of.

And now I was a daughter of one of the "Big Three". The three most powerful gods in Greek mythology. The three brothers.

And my name had some meaning, some weight to finding out who I was. Who I am. It also had to do with why I was in danger, outside of this camp.

I hung my head in my hands as I groaned. It was like my world had been tipped upside down.

"Heads up!" someone called. My head went up and then my vision went fuzzy as something hit me in the head. Then the sand was in my face. I stared at a pair of feet as I lifted my head, spitting sand out of my mouth. I looked up into a tanned face and a sheepish look. His dark hair was slightly curly, and looked like it'd be a wild mess if it were longer. He was tall and he leaned over and grabbed the volleyball that had hit my head. I rubbed my head as I stared at the boy in awe. He was handsome. Not that most of the guys here weren't, they were. But there was something about the look in his eyes. A glint of mischief. Something unpredictable in that apologetic smile. He was starting to look uncomfortable with me staring at him.

"Hey, sorry about that. I did say heads up though… I guess that's why your head popped up huh?" he chuckled a little to himself, "I'm Leo Valdez. I'm guessing you're new." He held out a thin hand towards me. Shaking myself out of my daze, I grabbed his hand and he helped me up.

"I…uh…I…me…I…" I sputtered. His head cocked to the side as he smirked at me.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asked. I felt my cheeks flame red. He was half a foot taller than me. He was also thin and lanky. I just resorted to staring at him some more, which made him frown.

"Sheesh. I must've hit your head pretty hard. Here, c'mon," he said, grabbing my hand and leading me away. I stared at his hand holding mine and felt my face continue being red. We passed by a volleyball court where he threw the volleyball over to the other campers. They snickered as we walked by. He held my hand the whole time as we walked towards the Big House, the place where Percy had told me earlier the infirmary was.

When we reached it, he dropped my hand, much to my disappointment. He climbed the steps and I followed after him.

"Wassup Argus? I have a patient for ya here. Or for someone. She hit her head. Er…well, okay, _I _hit her head. Pretty hard…" Leo explained. My mouth dropped as I saw the man he was talking to was covered in eyes. Eyes. As in _EYES_. Just everywhere. I tried to cover up my shocked expression, but it didn't really work. Leo took my wrist this time and led me over to a bunk as I continued to stare in awe at the man named Argus.

"Here, lay down," said Leo, gently pushing me towards the bed. I lay down and he comically fluffed my pillow, "Would you like anything?" he asked in a fake British accent, overly done, as he straightened up. I smiled a bit, and then shook my head.

A tall boy with blonde hair and blue eyes walked over and stared at me in confusion.

"Valdez?" asked the boy, exasperated, indicating he wanted him to explain.

"Oh, hey Will!" said Leo, smiling innocently.

"Who is she and why is she here? What did you do?"

"Well, she's new. I think she lost her voice or the ability to talk, because she just keeps sputtering out noises like a broken engine. Although," Leo looked her over, "If she _were_ an engine, I could probably fix her…"

"Leo. Focus. What happened?" asked Will.

"Oh, right, yeah. I hit her with a volleyball." Will rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated noise. Leo raised his hands up in defense.

"Hey, man, it wasn't my fault. I did yell 'Heads up!'" defended Leo.

"I'll get you some medicine for the pounding headache that you probably got from listening to this moron speak," said Will. Though Leo looked offended from the insult, Will had said it in an affectionate tone, and I knew Leo didn't really take offense to it. I giggled a little.

"She loved hearing my beautiful voice, didn't ya Newbie?" asked Leo, causing me to look up at him. Meeting his dark eyes, I felt myself sputtering again.

"I told you," Leo said to Will. Will looked at me with narrowed eyes and an amused smile.

"Valdez?"

"Yeah?"

"Get out of here."

"Sure thing boss," said Leo, saluting to Will, and then waving goodbye to me, he left. Will chuckled and then crossed over to me. He sat down on my bed and handed me some water and a couple of pills.

"The pills might knock you out for a couple of hours. So, what's your name?" he asked. I swallowed the pills and gulped down some water.

"Cari Scott," I said without thinking. Then I felt myself blush, "Though, you probably know me better as Charybdis Jackson…" I saw Will's blue eyes widen at the name.

"Percy's sister? The one they were trying to find?" he asked. I nodded, my lips tightened into a thin line.

"Yup. The one and only," I said, raising my water glass if I were making a toast, and then sipped down the rest of the water. My eyelids started to get heavy as I leaned into the comfy pillow.

"I'll tell him you're in here," said Will, getting up, "You should have your rest."

"I do like ducks," I murmured in response. Will chuckled and then patted my shoulder.

"Sure thing, kid."

* * *

My eyes flickered open. From the light that was filtering in here, it was sunset. My mouth felt dry as I sat up, holding my head.

"Cari? You okay?" asked Percy, leaning forwards, his eyes full of concern. I waved him off.

"I'm fine," I muttered.

"Will told me what happened. Sorry about Leo. He's a bit…" I felt myself lighten up at the name of Leo. Percy looked at me strangely, "But I guess that doesn't bother you." He laughed a little and then helped me up.

"C'mon, you're going to miss dinner," he said. I followed him out, looking around for Will, but he was nowhere to be seen. I frowned. I wanted to thank him for taking care of me. I caught up to my brother, Percy. It was weird to think: My brother. I had a brother…

"What's after dinner?" I asked.

"The campfire," he said. I smiled. I was looking forward to that. That sounded like fun.

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you have a fantabulouserrific day! :) **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews! I really appreciate it! :) **_

* * *

CHAPTER 4

After dinner, (I was already showered and changed into some new clothes before I went on the tour earlier, thank the gods) we went to the campfire. People settled themselves into an amphitheater sort of thing. The fire in front of them, changed with their moods. At the moment, they were getting excited so the fire rose and changed to a golden color. I settled in next to Annabeth and Percy. Oh, and then there was Grover, the one with the goat legs. "Satyr," he kept correcting me.

A man walked in with…a horse's behind? You would think that after hearing that your father was the god Poseidon, meeting a man with goat legs, and seeing a man that could probably see you better than anyone else ever could considering the amount of eyes that thing had on, you'd stop being surprised. But nope. I gasped, my mouth hanging open.

"That's Chiron. He's in charge, other than Dionysus, of course. He's a centaur," Percy whispered into my ear.

"Dionysus?"

"Yeah, he's in charge. The director of the whole camp."

"You mean…like the god?" I asked. Percy looked at me strangely as if telling me _yes, like the god, you moron._

"Right," I whispered to myself as the horseman, excuse me, Chiron started to talk.

"Before we get right into the festivities," as he said this some armored men got up and started cheering, waving their swords in the air. I just stared at them in horror. _That's_ the festivities? "I'd just like for you all to welcome our newest addition to the group. Percy Jackson's little sister Cari!" Percy motioned for me to get up. I stood up and awkwardly waved.

"She's also going to need a group," said Chiron. Then people started shouting.

"The blue team, obviously. Her brother is on our team. She should be as well," someone shouted.

"That's why she shouldn't! You guys already have Percy! You don't need another Poseidon child on your team. She should be on the red!"

"You already have Annabeth!" someone shouted.

"You already have Percy! You don't need someone else with his blood coursing through them!" I felt my face start to blush. I really wasn't good with anything…

"She should be with her brother!"

"Yeah!" was the agreement from the blue team.

"She should be opposite of her brother! It's only fair!"

"Yeah!" was the agreement of the red team.

"You guys?" I asked meekly. No one listened to me. They just continued arguing. I had a feeling that Percy was pretty good at this combat stuff. _Great, someone's shadow I'm going to have to live in. _

"GUYS!" I shouted over the other yells and shoutings. They froze and became quiet, their eyes watching me.

"I'm really not too good at the whole…fighting thing…" They stayed quiet for a few seconds more. Then the blue team sat down.

"You can have her," someone shouted. The red team grumbled and then sat down as well.

"I'm glad we got _that_ settled," muttered Chiron as I took a seat next to Percy. He patted my back awkwardly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be great," Percy whispered into my ear, giving me a confident smile. _Yeah, sure_, I thought sarcastically.

"She better be," I heard Annabeth mutter. Oh right, she was on the red team as well. Percy rolled his eyes and smiled.

"She's just upset because she hasn't been able to beat me since we got back here."

"Whatever," Annabeth said, punching him in the arm. He rubbed it absentmindedly, still smiling.

"Okay! Get your battle gear on!" cried Chiron.

"He does realize it's like dark out, right?" I asked Percy. He just got up and followed the others who didn't have their "battle gear" on. I sighed and pushed myself up, forcing myself to follow them. I was really not looking forward to this.

Annabeth helped put on all this gear that weighed a lot more than I did. I felt like I was being crushed. Then she added a helmet on top. I sighed.

"Just turn invisible, and you won't get hurt. But that's not part of the exercise," said Annabeth. I saw her look over at Percy who gave her a thumbs up. She just shook her head as she turned back to me, "Although, I know for sure Percy won't try to kill you. Here's your weapon and your shield. Good luck."

I stared at the sword in my hands and the shield in the other. What the hell?

"Okay! Now the objective of the game is to capture each other's flags…And not to kill each other," Chiron said loudly, so he could be heard over the others.

"Did he just add that last part absentmindedly? I feel like he added that last part absentmindedly," I said to Annabeth. She ignored me.

"Now, remember, have fun! And you may start!" he called. The two teams faced away from each other, carrying their flags. They had to hide it somewhere.

"Annabeth will protect the flag. Percy always goes offense instead of defense and she's the only one who matches him," the person in the front was calling out orders. He pointed to me.

"You'll be offense. But try not to get killed okay?"

"Do people normally get killed?" I muttered under my breath. I was scared out of my mind. This was not fun. Not fun!

"Okay," the main leader guy clapped his hands, "Let's do this!" People shouted battle cries in response. What. Did. I. Get. Myself. Into.

People started pushing forward shouting battle cries. That's when I heard distant battle cries coming towards us. Oh shit.

I cringed, practically hugging my sword, as people ran past me into a sea of red and blue. I heard the metal clang of sword on sword as I tried to scurry past them. Everyone else was screaming, so I was as well. But out of sheer fear.

Finally I escaped the fight of hell and staggered down towards the water. My knees hit the sand and I lapped up the inky water. As cool liquid dripped from my chin, I looked up, and in the way of the full moon, was a lone flag on a cliff, a few feet away from me.

"No way," I heard myself mutter in awe as I stood up. It's this easy? All that commotion for nothing? I felt a smile spread across my lips as I walked up the slight hill, tripping in the process. I took off my stupid helmet, and blew the black hair out of my eyes. In the distance I could still see the raging campfire. Picking myself up, I scrutinized the flag. Then I shrugged, a huge smile on my face, when a huge fireball passed through.

"WHOA!" I cried, jumping backwards, closer to the edge of the cliff. I sucked on my burned fingers as a figure stepped out from the shadows. _Great. Good job, Cari. You dropped your sword and shield when you went to drink and forgot to pick them up. Just when you needed it the most. Good job. I applaud thee you moron. _

"Hey! It's you! The girl I hit with a volleyball earlier today! How's your head?" asked a very familiar voice, stepping out from the shadows. He looked even more breathtaking in armor.

"Leo?" I heard myself ask, my eyes widening. Was he the one—the huge fireball—was that even possible? Then I realized how awful I must've looked.

"And now I burned your fingers… You and I don't mix together very well, do we, newbie?" asked Leo, "Hey! What'd you say your name was?"

"It's Cari," I said shyly. Ugh, I was such a freak. He then noticed that I was weaponless. Smiling toothily up at me, he lowered his own weapon and shield.

"Sorry Cari, but I can't let you take that flag," he said, balling his hands up into fists, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

"Yeah, I didn't think you would," I sort of muttered, though loud enough for him to hear me. He laughed at my comment, and then lowered himself into fighting stance. I just kind of stood there, staring at him. Fire bursted from his fists and I screamed, ducking, narrowly missing the ball of fire. It almost burned my hair off. Shooting back up I put my hands up in defense.

"Whoa! You guys take camp _way _too seriously," I said. His smile got bigger as he stepped forward, causing me to want to take a step back. Big mistake. I fell, hurtling into the water headfirst. The water engulfed me, like a warm blanket, or a set of fatherly arms. It started to heal my burned fingers, and the cuts on my knees that I got from when I fell disappeared as well. I felt something inside me change, like a flip of a switch, as my eyes snapped open.

A sly smile spread on my lips as my arms extended above my head as I spun. Spinning around caused a whirlpool. A whirlpool which reached the bottom. My feet hit solid ground, but I didn't care. I started to walk up the slanted water, that was spinning faster than I ever thought possible. I walked on the water, towards Leo. As I took my first steps onto the cliff, the whirlpool closed up some, but it was still spinning at a dangerous speed.

"Hey, Cari? There's something up with your—"

"You have a chance to surrender now," I said, but it was more than just me saying it, someone else was backing up my words. Leo looked slightly frightened at the sound that was coming from my mouth, and enflamed his fists.

"I don't ever surrender. Something you should learn about me," he said. I felt my lips curl into a smirk.

"Wrong choice," I simply said. Then he started throwing fireballs at me. I dodged them easily, keeping my eyes on him. I advanced towards him, and as I got closer, I could see the fear in his eyes. Not only that, I could _smell_ it radiating off of him. I could see him getting tired as I kept dodging his fireballs. And by the time I got to him, he was too tired to make fireballs. His eyes grew wide as I hit each and every one of his pressure points, causing him to double over in pain.

"You thought fireballs would thwart me, son of Hephaestus? I have dueled with worse and better trained enemies than you," I heard myself say. But I wasn't saying them anymore. I had no control over myself. I grabbed him by his breast plate and lifted him up above the ground like it was no effort at all. And it wasn't.

"Cari… It's just a game," I heard him say, but it was distant. As he struggled so he wouldn't get strangled, I threw him so he hung off the edge of the cliff.

"Holy—!" he yelled something incoherent as he tried to scramble back up the cliff, but I put my foot down on his throat, causing him to stop moving.

"Cari, let's talk about this. I know that I burned you a little, but your hands looked pretty fine to me just a few seconds ago, and I know that I hit your head with a—"

"SHUT UP!" I growled at him. I heard footsteps behind me, running footsteps, and I turned around and roared at the people coming towards me. They immediately backed up.

"Valdez! You okay?" someone shouted.

"I'll be fine!" Leo shouted back. I put more pressure on his neck and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Cari?" someone asked behind me. I whipped my head around and looked into sea green eyes.

"I'm not Cari," the many voices of me hissed at him.

"Charybdis, then," Percy said, walking steadily, but slowly, towards me. I just watched him, my eyes narrowed.

"Charybdis, let go of Leo," ordered Percy, softly. I stared at him for a moment more, but, reluctantly, I lifted my foot off of him and let Leo scramble away.

"Boy, that girl's strong," I heard him mutter to someone else.

"What's up with her eyes?" I heard someone else say. My eyes?

"Cari?" asked Percy as I held my head into my hands, the ground spinning. What was happening? What was going on? It was as if a switch was flipped inside my head. I blinked for a few seconds.

"What happened?" I asked meekly. And then I passed out.

* * *

_**A/N: So yeah, Cari is kind of... Well, I'll explain later. It's the reason why she needed to be hidden. That and something else. That I mentioned earlier, but you probably haven't put the pieces together yet. :) **_

_**Till next time,**_

_**Innocently Beautiful **_


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